Just thought I’d put this out and see what kind of answers I would get

So what’s with Band Saw Boxes? Looks like nearly all of us have made at least one and some people like me have made a fair number. WHY? My excuse for making them is to keep busy on a project small enough to handle with my limitations. I really like all the unique design, the varieties of wood and the colors. But really, what does anyone use them for? Have any of y’all got any good answers as to why we build these things? There must have been a need at one time but other than a quick, fun project I don’t see much point.

Let me have some of your feedback. This should be an interesting topic (I hope).

-- I am going to go stand outside so if anyone asks about me, tell them I'M OUTSTANDING!

Never made one personally since I never figured out who would really need one. Seems like they’d just be one more dust collector for most of the people I’d give them to. However, my daughter is getting close to the age when she might like one and actually take care of it. I suspect I’ll then be making them for her and her friends when the time comes.

Like most things, it’s personal preference. And also with no disrespect, about 90% of them don’t appeal to me. Limited practical use, as you noted. Woods are beautiful, maybe the last thing to do with scrap-sized material?

Interested in the responses you’ll get, oldwrangler.

-- Don't anthropomorphize your handplanes. They hate it when you do that. -- OldTools Archive --

As a business, I always built large projects, so playing around with bandsaw boxes was a fun way to get creative.

I’ve probably built somewhere between 50 to 100 different boxes and always kept a number of them on display at home (or should I say, my daughter and wife adopted quite a few).

I guess you should ask all the people that buy them; I’ve never had a problem finding customers that seem to love them.

This past Christmas I had a previous customer contact me that had purchased 4 bandsaw boxes from me a few years ealier and wanted to know if I had any available as he wanted to purchase a couple more. He told me to bring a couple of my favorites and he was sure he would like them.

I never like to make decisions for my customers, so I took 6 boxes with me so he could pick the ones he liked the best. After studying all 6 (all very different), he decided that he would buy all six because he could think of a number of other people that woud love to get one. BTW; these were not simple 1 drawer boxes, but larger 4 drawer units.

I’ve always felt your only limitations to making a bandsaw box is your imagination and the size of your bandsaw. (check out the picture in my avator). lol

They allow me to be creative, to think outside the box, as they say and they will test your patience when it comes to sanding!.

My wife and daughter has imformed me that my selection of boxes are dwindleing and I needed to get back out in the shop and get creative again.

Some offer challenges in design and execution. And as Smitty said, uses some nice scrap wood. Plus, they are a nice break from more demanding projects. Well done ones can be pieces of art….well that may be taking it a bit far, but they can be pretty. All I’ve made and given away are displayed proudly (I think/hope) by their recipients. A good friend got me into making them a long time ago. Sadly, he passed away a few years ago. So, each one I make brings back his memory. I guess, for me, band saw boxes have a kind of a poignant and personal meaning.

-- Gene 'The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.' G. K. Chesterton

i think its just like making a cutting board that alot of people feel they need to make for there “right of passage”.i’ve made a couple for the wifey,just as a trinket box.i’m working on one now for my daughter since she has a few pieces of jewelry now.

I began to get into woodworking about a year & half ago, starting with B/S boxes. I didn’t know squat about a bandsaw so doing the boxes was a good learning experience on that equipment.

I’ve probably done 60 or so & while I’m getting better, I’m not close to some of the work posted here. Most of mine have been for gifts – & I get nice comments/thanks for them, but who knows for sure what the recipient really feels or does with them.

I’ve been putting some boxes in a local “upper scale” gallery since last Oct & they’ve sold 12 – 14. So I guess someone likes them.

While I hate the sanding, I do get a sense of satisfaction once the box is done with a nice finish – so it feels good to me… guess I’ll keep doing them as long as it does.

A lot of good comments, pretty much what I thought would be said. Looks like the satisfaction of making something so simple but nearly a work of art should appeal to everyone. Anyone who hasn’t made one yet, should. They are the best stress reliever I know of. When I have nothing else to make I can always make a box. I’ve always got plenty of scraps and they don’t take much.

I think JoeinGa nailed it…..they really are the new cutting boards.

Thanks for all the comments.

-- I am going to go stand outside so if anyone asks about me, tell them I'M OUTSTANDING!

I think they make nice jewelry boxes and places to store little thing you like to save but are not real valuable so they have to be secure- just an organizer. The styles and techniques for making them that people come up with amaze me . I guess they can be used as any other box that we make in all kinds of shapes and sizes and with different techniques. I’ve made a few out of logs which is the first way I’ve seen them and I did made my grand daughter a nice vertical one for a jewelry box and she designed it so it was even more special.

Just another way for us woodworkers to be creative!!!!!!!!!!!

Have a great day…....................Jim

-- Jim Jakosh.....Practical Wood Products...........Learn something new every day!! Variety is the Spice of Life!!

So Jim, the band saw boxes are really more for the “giver” than the “getee”. Making them is great therapy and a chance to be real creative but mostly they are fun dust-catchers. When I’m not making a table or bookcase, a band saw box fills in the down time. I just love making them and everybody seems to enjoy getting one. They are pretty unique items so I’ll close now and go finish the one on my workbench.

-- I am going to go stand outside so if anyone asks about me, tell them I'M OUTSTANDING!